Black women leaders applaud confirmation of Deb Haaland as secretary of the Department of the Interior

Statement by In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda President and CEO Marcela Howell

WASHINGTON — On March 15, 2021, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Rep. Deb Haaland as secretary of the Department of the Interior, making her the first Native American to hold a cabinet position. Marcela Howell, president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, issued the following statement in response:

“We applaud the confirmation of Rep. Deb Haaland as secretary of the Interior. It has taken hundreds of years for a president to appoint a Native American to serve at the cabinet level. Finally, a Native American heads the federal department that has so much impact on Native people and their land. As Black women, we understand the injustice of being governed — without representation — by a government that continues to oppress us. We applaud the progress of Rep. Haaland’s confirmation while we demand more actions to address the injustices suffered by Native people.

“We encourage the administration and Congress to address the injustices and disparities Native people face — especially those on reservations. We also encourage the Senate to stop stalling and immediately move forward to confirm the other women of color nominees now.”

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national-state partnership focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national and regional levels in our fight to secure reproductive justice for all women, femmes and girls. Our eight strategic partners are Black Women for Wellness, Black Women’s Health Imperative, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, SisterLove, Inc. SisterReach, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, The Afiya Center and Women With A Vision.